Help - baby lost consonant babbling?

[Katy]

7.5 month old foster baby had b's, g's, and (rare) d's until he got Influenza B last month. Now he seems to have lost them.  He wasn't yet at the babababa stage, but he was saying things like ah-ba, or ah-ga, etc.  About a month has passed and despite lots of vowels and screeching, the consonants haven't come back.  Would you call the doctor for this, or wait until the next checkup at 9 months?  Other babies we've had in the home all had at least b's & d's by now, even ones with severe traumatic brain injuries. He was about a month premature, if that makes a difference.  This is probably not a big deal yet, but since he had the sounds and then lost them, and since he was ahead of other skills until recently, I can't help but worry that something is wrong.

 

Feel free to tell me to relax.

[Upennmama]

Relax. None of my kids, foster or bio had consonant sounds even by 10-11 months, and all talked fine and normally. Vaxes have no connection to autism at all. If there's any delay at the one year appointment, you can talk to the doctor then. 

 

 

[Bluegoat]

My youngest seemed to go backwards at a certain point with babbling - actually, it just went away.  A few months later she started making sounds in a more language-oriented way.

 

I vaguely recall that this is normal, they stop with the babbling at some point.

[learning123]

If you still have concerns you can request a evaluation by the state's early childhoodn intervention program.  No doctor's orders are needed.  Any child until the age of 3 with delays or with high risk of delays is eligible such as premies, certain syndromes, etc. even before delays are noted. If the baby qualifies, a speech therapist (or occupation/physical) can come to your house for the session and give you tips on how to stimulate speech development. The peace of mind is the best part.   :001_smile:

[Mergath]

I have a NT seven month old and it's totally normal. She'll have a couple days where she babbles like crazy, and then what seems like weeks where she just grunts at me because she's so focused on a physical milestone. Or because she's teething and miserable. Or because she has a stuffy nose and trying to make a consonant sound causes snot to fly everywhere.

 

My older dd had speech delays from a genetic disorder when she was a baby, and it was really obvious. I don't think she made a single consonant sound until she was a year old. 

 

I wouldn't panic yet. Keep modeling the sounds and keep an eye out for any other signs of regression.

[gardenmom5]

I'd call. better safe than sorry.

[wonderchica]

Is baby working on a physical milestone right now, such as sitting up or crawling? It’s common for babies to slow down sound production when they’re learning a major motor skill. I’ve worked in early in and wouldn’t be concerned yet, just keep monitoring it.

[wonderchica]

If you still have concerns you can request a evaluation by the state's early childhoodn intervention program. No doctor's orders are needed. Any child until the age of 3 with delays or with high risk of delays is eligible such as premies, certain syndromes, etc. even before delays are noted. If the baby qualifies, a speech therapist (or occupation/physical) can come to your house for the session and give you tips on how to stimulate speech development. The peace of mind is the best part. :001_smile:

You can absolutely call, but be aware eligibility varies by state. A child only one month premature would not be automatically eligible in my state, and what OP described wouldn’t make them eligible either (barring any other delays). Edited March 22, 2018 by wonderchica

[Katy]

I have a NT seven month old and it's totally normal. She'll have a couple days where she babbles like crazy, and then what seems like weeks where she just grunts at me because she's so focused on a physical milestone. Or because she's teething and miserable. Or because she has a stuffy nose and trying to make a consonant sound causes snot to fly everywhere.

 

My older dd had speech delays from a genetic disorder when she was a baby, and it was really obvious. I don't think she made a single consonant sound until she was a year old. 

 

I wouldn't panic yet. Keep modeling the sounds and keep an eye out for any other signs of regression.

 

Baby has been more fussy the last couple days, and a bit more drool.  No fever, I was thinking teething, especially because Tylenol seems to help.  I hadn't thought about teething delaying speech further though.  Thanks!

 

Is baby working on a physical milestone right now, such as sitting up or crawling? It’s common for babies to slow down sound production when they’re learning a major motor skill. I’ve worked in early in and wouldn’t be concerned yet, just keep monitoring it.

 

No, but he is fussy and possibly teething.  It might be the same.

[JFSinIL]

Has he lost anything else, or had a change in demeanor? If he does not seem ok at the 9 month check-up, you can ask about post-flu PANS or PANDAS. Evidently it does not only strike after strep, but flu can trigger it, too. Just might be harder to detect in such a young child. However, as someone whose kid did not get properly diagnosed with a treatable condition that severely affected his ability to process sounds until age FIVE (hearing was fine, it was his brain that was not working properly) I tend towards the check stuff sooner rather than later camp. But at this stage, if he has only stopped with some early sounds, I think you can wait a bit to see if they come back. On the other hand, your (foster) mama instincts did make you post your concerns...

Edited March 22, 2018 by JFSinIL

[unsinkable]

7.5 month old foster baby had b's, g's, and (rare) d's until he got Influenza B last month. Now he seems to have lost them. He wasn't yet at the babababa stage, but he was saying things like ah-ba, or ah-ga, etc. About a month has passed and despite lots of vowels and screeching, the consonants haven't come back. Would you call the doctor for this, or wait until the next checkup at 9 months? Other babies we've had in the home all had at least b's & d's by now, even ones with severe traumatic brain injuries. He was about a month premature, if that makes a difference. This is probably not a big deal yet, but since he had the sounds and then lost them, and since he was ahead of other skills until recently, I can't help but worry that something is wrong.

 

Feel free to tell me to relax.

I'd worry, too, about fluid build up in his ears.

 

I had a baby that never bababled...only made breathy ah and eh sounds. He also never had a normal ear exam until he was over 3 yo...he got his first cold at 2 weeks old.

 

He got speech services before he was 2, i IIRC.

[Katy]

You can absolutely call, but be aware eligibility varies by state. A child only one month premature would not be automatically eligible in my state, and what OP described wouldn’t make them eligible either (barring any other delays).

 

He actually is already being monitored for delays through the state university clinic because of the family's situation & his past medical conditions.  It's just there's a big gap in the appointments in the spring for some reason (the first time I've been concerned about him).  It probably has to do with the therapists vacation schedule, if I had to take a guess.  Anyway every few months he sees a nurse practitioner, a physical and occupational therapist all in one appointment.

 

I'll probably give it a week and then call the clinic if there's not an obvious reason like popping a tooth or suddenly scooting more than the 8" record he already has.

[Crimson Wife]

If he's fussy, I'd be concerned about a "silent" ear infection. Might be worth a check of his ears at the pediatrician's office.

[gardenmom5]

one thought  I had was the possibility of a secondary infection/fluid in his ears (not painful if it's not infected) - but can affect speech development.

[Catwoman]

I'd worry, too, about fluid build up in his ears.

 

I had a baby that never bababled...only made breathy ah and eh sounds. He also never had a normal ear exam until he was over 3 yo...he got his first cold at 2 weeks old.

 

He got speech services before he was 2, i IIRC.

:iagree:

 

I’m no expert, but my first thought was fluid in the ears, too.

[rebbyribs]

If he seems otherwise okay, I would just make a note to discuss it at the next checkup.

 

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Edited March 22, 2018 by rebbyribs

[unsinkable]

one thought I had was the possibility of a secondary infection/fluid in his ears (not painful if it's not infected) - but can affect speech development.

Yes, it can impact speech development. That's why 2 of us mentioned it a couple posts up.

 

Babies can't imitate what they don't hear.

[gardenmom5]

Yes, it can impact speech development. That's why 2 of us mentioned it a couple posts up.

 

Babies can't imitate what they don't hear.

 

so three of us (or more actually) had that thought and suggestion.

 

 

OP - i wouldn't wait to get him checked.   I had this with 2ds, he had a lot of fluid built up. after being referred to an ENT,  we did end up doing tubes - since his ears just woudn't drain otherwise.